Let’s Honor Legendary Director George Romero by Asking If His Death is How the Zombie Apocalypse Begins

Director George Romero, who is essentially the granddaddy of today’s massive zombie culture, died over the weekend at the age of 77 from lung cancer. At press time, his family has not confirmed or denied any plans by Romero to rise from the grave.

Romero’s first and most well-known film is 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, which set the template for every zombie story that has followed in the past half-century. He returned to the undead throughout his career, with Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007), and Survival of the Dead (2009).

His living dead features were noted for both their groundbreaking scares and social commentary, with striking critiques on race relations, consumerism, and the military-industrial complex.

Romero’s non-zombie credits include the “vampire” film Martin (1978), a segment in the horror anthology Creepshow (1982), and Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear (1988).

If you would like to memorialize Romero by eating his brains, then the apocalypse may have already begun.

News Cult Entertainment Editor Jeffrey Malone is an entertainment writer/reporter/critic/thinkpiecer/listmaker. He is still working his way through every SNL episode that aired before he was born. He can be reached at [email protected]